The transit system in Baton Rouge faces serious challenges, as it could run out of funding by October 2011 without additional revenue. It suffers from chronic underfunding compared to peer cities, with a funding level of only $27 per capita compared to $84 on average for peers. The current system is inefficient and unreliable, with long wait times averaging 75 minutes and total travel times of over 2 hours. Four reform proposals are presented: A) Basic reform with decreased wait times and increased routes; B) Increased ridership with faster waits and more routes; C) Broad appeal with highest level of service including BRT and streetcars; or D) No reform and declining service levels without more funding. Proposal C estimates a total budget of

1. Public Transit:“Fixing a system in crisis”St. Mary Baptist ChurchMay 10th, 2011

2. We face serious challenges…The transit system could run out of funding either in September or October of 2011.Chronic budget crises, under-funding and poor public perception have plagued the system.The 2010 vote to create a dedicated revenue source for transit failed, 53% to 47%.

3. Who cares?

4. Traffic CongestionAvg. delay per year22 hoursU. S. Avg for Mid-size Cities37 hoursBaton Rouge33rdBaton Rouge rank for congestion among mid-size U.S. cities (2010)?# of mid-size cities studied?33

5. Projected Traffic CongestionFuturEBR projects traffic congestion will increase to over 70 hours per year in 20 years

6. Projected Traffic CongestionFuturEBR prediction of congested routes in 20 years(Not a pretty picture.)

7. Who cares?Mildred.Receptionist at local hospital. Makes minimum wage and is a single mother. She and her daughter rely on public transit.Dr. Jeanne.Jessica.Retired PhD in Clinical Psychology. Recently visually impaired. Very limited ability to drive.Student at a local university. Moving next to a bus route because her car is about to give out.

8. Who cares?People who …want less traffic congestion.need reliable transportation to get to work, appointments, school, entertainment.need their employees to have reliable transportation to work.would like to reduce overall transportation costs: car insurance, gas, road repair, vehicle repair.want economic development: $1 in transit investment = $35 in economic development.

9. Tens of thousands of Baton Rouge residents have limited or no access to cars.People who are elderly, have disabilities, are low-income, students, young people.Hundreds of thousands want options for transportation.

10. Public transit is a popular idea in B.R.Percent of residents who say there is a “good” or “great” need for improved public transportation70%Percent of residents who “would use rapid transit if it were available”55%But very few people use it…Percent of residents who “ever use” transit system in Baton Rouge16%

11. If the idea of transit is popular, why don’t more people use it?Because the current system is not working.

12. Problem #1: Wait times are too longAverage wait time at a transit stop?75 minutes

13. Problem #2: Overall travel times are too long.Average total travel time (including waits)?2 hours, 20 minutes

14. Problem #3: The route system is inefficient“Spoke” route structure built for cities of 40 years ago.Consider Essen to Bluebonnet5-10 minutes by carOver 2 hours by bus

15. #4: Poor service coverageMany highly developed areas are not covered by transit system: O’Neal LaneCoursey Blvd. Essen & Siegan Lane

16. #5: Poor Signage and StopsShelters are in poor condition or do not exist.Poor and uninformative signage at bus stops: no route information; no time information.How did it get this bad?

17. You get what you pay for…Baton Rouge vs. Peer cities: Transit funding per residentPer capita fundingPeer Cities (2009)$134Charlotte Knoxville Little RockRaleighMemphisPeer City AverageBaton Rouge (2009)Baton Rouge (2011) Includes local taxes, fares and federal funding$84$84$70$59$86$32$27

18. You get what you pay for…High dependence on rider fares for fundingPercent of Peer Cities (2009)funding from faresPeer City AverageBaton Rouge (2011) 14%25%

19. Other cities with dedicated revenue for transit …Akron, OHAlameda, CAAlbuquerque, NMAmes, IAAnn Arbor, MIAntioch, CAArlington, VAAsheville, NCAtlanta, GAAustin, TXBakersfield, CABatavia, OHBay City, MIBellingham, WABenton Harbor, MIBillings, MTBirmingham, ALBismarck, NDBloomington, INBradenton, FLBremerton, WABrunswick, OHBuffalo, NYBurlington, WACanton, OHCedar Rapids, IAChapel Hill, NCCharleston, SCCharleston, WVCharlotte, NCCharlottesville, VAChicago, ILCincinnati, OHCleveland, OHColorado Springs, COColumbus, GAColumbus, OHCommerce, CAConcord, CACorpus Christi, TXCorvallis, ORCulver City, CACumberland, MDDallas, TXDavenport, IADavis, CADayton, OHDenver, CODetroit, MIDuluth, MNEl Paso, TXElk Grove, CAEverett, WAFairfield, CAFlagstaff, AZFlint, MIFond du Lac, WIFort Collins, COFort Myers, FLFort Smith, ARFort Wayne, INFort Worth, TXFredericksburg, VAGardena, CAGary, INGlendale, AZGrand Forks, NDGrand Rapids, MIGrand River, OH

20. MORE cities with dedicated revenue for transit …Granite City, ILGreat Falls, MTGreensboro, NCGretna, LAHanford, CAHesperia, CAHighland Falls, NYHolland, MIHouston, TXHuntington, WVIndianapolis, INIowa City, IAJackson, MIJacksonville, FLJefferson City, MOKalamazoo, MIKansas City, MOKent, OHLa Mirada, CALaCrosse, WILafayette, INLakeland, FLLancaster, CALansing, MILaredo, TXLargo, MDLas Cruces, NMLawrence, KS Lewisville, TXLexington, KYLivermore, CALogan, UTLompoc, CALong Beach, CALos Angeles, CAMedford, ORMiami, FLMinneapolis, MNMissoula, MTMoline, ILMontebello, CAMonterey, CAMurfreesboro, TNNapa, CANew Orleans, LANew York, NYNorwalk, CAOakland, CAOceanside, CAOlympia, WAOmaha, NEOrange, CAOxnard, CAPeoria, ILPetaluma, CAPhoenix, AZPinole, CAPittsburgh, PAPompano Beach, FLPort Huron, MIPort Washington, WIPorterville, CAPortland, ORProvidence, RIRedondo Beach, CARichland, WARiverside, CARockville, MD

21. STILL MORE cities with dedicated revenue for transit …Sacramento, CASaginaw, MISalem, ORSan Antonio, TXSan Bernardino, CASan Carlos, CASan Diego, CASan Francisco, CASan Jose, CASan Juan, PRSanta Barbara, CASanta Clarita, CASanta Cruz, CASanta Fe, NMSanta Maria, CASanta Monica, CASanta Rosa, CASavannah, GAScottsdale, AZSeattle, WASioux City, IASouth Bend, INSpokane, WASpringfield, ILSt. Cloud, MNSt. Johns, MISt. Joseph, MOSt. Paul, MNSt. Petersburg, FLStockton, CASugar Land, TXTampa, FLTempe, AZThousand Oaks, CAThousand Palms, CAToledo, OHTopeka, KSTucson, AZUnion City, CAUrbana, ILVallejo, CAValparaiso, INVancouver, WAVentura, CAVisalia, CAWashington, DCWaterloo, IAWenatchee, WAWest Covina, CAWest Palm Beach, FLWheeling, WVWinston-Salem, NCWoodland, CAYakima, WAYoungstown, OH No dedicated funding means losing millions in federal match funding and grants.

22. So how do we fix it?

23. 4 Reform Proposals

24. Proposal A:Basic Reform1. Decrease wait times from 75 minutes to 30 minutes.2. Increase service from 19 to 31 routes.3. Increase peak-hour buses from 32 to 42.4. Build 3 new transit hubs to replace “spoke” system with “grid” system.5. Overhaul bus stops, with new shelters, covers & benches.6. Add tracking to fleet, with exact arrival times accessible on cell phones.7. New signage with route and time info.8. Dedicated revenue source for transit. APreliminary Estimates OnlyTotal Transit Budget: $25 millionRequired from dedicated revenue source: $15mFederal & Other Funds leveraged: $10m per year

25. Proposal B:Ridership Expansion1. Decrease wait times from 75 minutes to 20 minutes.2. Increase service from 19 to 37 routes.3. Increase peak-hour buses from 32 to 57.4. Build 3 new transit hubs to replace “spoke” system with “grid” system.5. Overhaul bus stops: shelters & benches.6. Add tracking to fleet, with exact arrival times accessible on cell phones.7. New signage with route and time info.8. Dedicated revenue source for transit.9. 3 New Express Lines: a) Downtown to LSU, b) Florida Blvd. & c) Plank Rd. (servicing Airport). BPreliminary Estimates OnlyTotal Transit Budget: $29.9 millionRequired from dedicated revenue source: $18.3 millionFederal & Other Funds leveraged: $11.6m per year

26. Proposal C:Broad “rider-of-choice” appeal1. Decrease wait times from 75 to 15 minutes.2. Increase service from 19 to 39 routes.3. Increase peak-hour buses from 32 to 98.4. Build 3 new transit hubs to replace “spoke” system with “grid” system.5. Overhaul bus stops (shelters/benches).6. Add tracking to fleet, with exact arrival times accessible on cell phones.7. New signage with route and time info.8. Dedicated revenue source for transit.9. Bus Rapid Transit on Florida.10. Start-up for Street Car downtown to LSU.11. SIX New Express Service Lines for Florida Blvd, Airline Hwy, Scenic Hwy (serving Southern Univ), Plank Rd. (serving Airport), Acadian Thruway (serving BRCC) and O’Neal Lane.12. New Limited Stop Routes for Zachary/Baker, Denham Springs & Highland Rd. CPreliminary Estimate OnlyTotal Transit Budget: $55.4 millionRequired from dedicated revenue source: $38.7millionFed & other funds leveraged: $16.7m

27. Proposal C:Broad “rider-of-choice” appealDouble click image for videoBus Rapid Transit 1. Decrease wait times from 75 to 15 minutes.2. Increase service from 19 to 39 routes.3. Increase peak-hour buses from 32 to 98.4. Build 3 new transit hubs to replace “spoke” system with “grid” system.5. Overhaul bus stops (shelters/benches).6. Add tracking to fleet, with exact arrival times accessible on cell phones.7. New signage with route and time info.8. Dedicated revenue source for transit.9. Bus Rapid Transit on Florida.10. Start-up for Street Car downtown to LSU.11. SIX New Express Service Lines for Florida Blvd, Airline Hwy, Scenic Hwy (serving Southern Univ), Plank Rd. (serving Airport), Acadian Thruway (serving BRCC) and O’Neal Lane.12. New Limited Stop Routes for Zachary/Baker, Denham Springs & Highland Rd. CPreliminary Estimate OnlyTotal Transit Budget: $55.4 millionRequired from dedicated revenue source: $38.7millionFed & other funds leveraged: $16.7m

28. Proposal D:No Reform1. No dedicated revenue source or additional funding for transit.2. Current or declining level of service: 75 minute wait times

29. 2hr 20min average trip time

30. Current state of stops, signage and amenities.

31. Decrease routes from 19 to 17.

32. No weekend service.